GOP gubernatorial candidate talks of “hunting” Obama

America elected an African-American president and an Idaho Republican gubernatorial candidate “joked” about issuing $11.50 tags to hunt down the president.

GOP gubernatorial candidate Rex Rammell’s repeated “jokes” about hunting President Barack Obama has received national play in the mainstream media and on the Web that included praises in right wing and racist blogs.

Rex Rammell, Republican Candidate for Idaho Governor

Rammell a Rexburg, Idaho resident, made the sick comment Tuesday at a Republican barbecue in Twin Falls during talk about Idaho selling its first $11.50 hunting tags for wolves this fall. Someone shouted “Obama tags,” and Rammell said, “The Obama tags? We’d buy some of those.”

Not content with one sick jab at the president, Rammell repeated yesterday in a news release and on Twitter: “Anyone who understands the law, knows I was just joking, because Idaho has no jurisdiction to issue hunting tags in Washington, D.C.” He has refused to apologize but said he doesn’t advocate assassinating Obama.

Rammell isn’t the first Rexburg resident who has made an anti-Obama comment. Last November, second-grade and third-grade students on a school bus there chanted “Assassinate Obama” after his election. The mayor of Rexburg, Idaho publicly apologized for the incident.

In the 1980′s, the white supremacist Aryan Nations was headquartered in North Idaho. Since then, most Idaho political leaders have been trying to distance themselves from the racist reputation brought to Idaho by the Aryan Nations. Idaho gubernatorial candidate Rex Rammell isn’t helping. He does have his supporters – 5.4 percent of the Idaho electorate voted for him in an unsuccessful 2008 U.S. Senate run.

Note to racists: It is a federal felony crime to even speak about assassinating the President of the United States.

The United States has a long history of presidential assassinations and attempts. To even think or make public pronouncements about “hunting” the president is height of irresponsibility. It’s even more repulsive coming from a candidate for governor of the Great State of Idaho.

The following presidents have been assassinated in the United States: Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley and John F. Kennedy.

Sad to think the Republican party would give a racist a high profile political platform to spew vile and repugnant statements. Note to Idaho Republicans – the Republican central committee of Idaho can vote to expel Rammell from the party.

But sadly, they won’t.

RECENT HATE RELATED INCIDENTS IN IDAHO

Coeur d’ Alene, ID

Three men were ticketed for littering after Aryan Nations fliers were found in yards.

Reported:2009-08-10

Boise, ID

A federal jury found two men guilty of committing a hate crime for beating a black man outside a Wal-Mart last year.

Reported:2009-07-23

Coeur d’Alene, ID

Residents of subdivision found Aryan Nations recruitment fliers on their lawns.

Reported:2009-04-17

Nampa, ID

Four individuals were arrested and charged with a racially-motivated beating and conspiring to interfere with the civil rights of an African-American man.

Reported:2009-02-12

Vay, ID

A sign with a noose hanging in the middle and the words “free public hanging” and “Obama” and the names of several other prominent Democratic officials was posted on a tree.

Reported:2008-11-14

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If this article made you smile, laugh, happy, angry, cramped or pissed off, feel free to leave written comment below or a cathartic phone message or scream for me. Google Voice will transcribe your message. One day, I might post the more interesting ones.

P.S. Death threats against the President of the United States will immediately be turned over immediately to the United States Secret Service.